Being an entrepreneur has a plethora of perks.

When we choose to start a company, we tend to think about authority, respect, success and money we can get from being a successful entrepreneur.

Firstly, there is no guarantee that you will become successful and earn tons of money, power, and respect.

Secondly, there are many risks to take and sacrifices to make. It’s actually a challenging road to success. You have to be emotionally, mentally and physically strong and healthy.

You have to know how to handle stress, overcome fears, deal with difficult people, survive the hard times, manage your time, and many other skills that are not easy to master.

I’m definitely not trying to scare you or talk you out of entering the business world. What I’m trying to tell you is that you will have a great number of additional responsibilities and you will have to devote most of your time to your business.

Remember the popular Miguel de Cervantes quote, “Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory”

This is the purpose of my article. I want you to know what’s expecting you down the road and what you can do now to make your road to success less painful.

If you are simply thinking about starting your own company or you have already entered the business world, get ready to tackle any of the following challenges and don’t be afraid to make sacrifices. It will pay off. Just work hard, stay alerted, move forward and set realistic goals.

Without further ado, here are the major sacrifices entrepreneurs make or have to make to gain success.

Not seeing family for weeks or months

Family is a priority, but not for entrepreneurs.

It’s not a 9 to 5 job with a fixed paycheck. Even if you plan your day, you barely have time for dearest and nearest. You have to work more than 16 hours each day to make your business profitable and avoid failures.

You don’t have day offs like ordinary people have. Be ready not to see your parents and other relatives for weeks, if not months.

If you are married, it may be hard to keep your marriage strong. It’s like a long-distance relationship that sometimes has no future.

There were many times where I had sacrificed time with my partner to accomplish those important projects. We had many fights and I didn’t know what to do.

Unfortunately, we broke up.

Honestly, I don’t regret. I think if someone prevents you from reaching your dream instead of supporting and helping you, you don’t need them in your life.

The situation gets worse when you have children, especially little ones. They crave your care and attention, but you have no opportunity to spend a lot of time with them.

When they grow up, though, they might not understand why their parent chose business over kids.

Having no roof overhead

There are many reasons why many entrepreneurs have no place to live in.

Maybe they rented a flat or a house in the past or sold their house to pay off debts or invest in a new company.

Where do they live? In the office, cars, friends, neighbors, you name it. Some successful entrepreneurs confess that they often had to sleep in the park or bus station to save cash for lunch.

The best way to handle the situation is not to stress over it. It’s temporary. Just keep working hard and you will be able to buy 2 and more houses in the future.

No time for the things you love

Do you enjoy traveling? Cooking? Writing? Reading? Whatever you like, you will have to ditch it for a while.

When starting your company, the last thing you want to do is to spend your precious time on the things that will not help your business grow.

Having a hobby is important. Spending me time is a must. However, you have a lot more crucial things that you should focus on today. Treat your new company like a baby that needs attention and care 24/7.

Think about the sacrifices that new moms have to make for the sake of their babies, and you will understand what I mean.

Not having enough sleep

They have so many things to accomplish during the day that it’s almost impossible to squeeze a healthy 8-hour sleep into their busy schedules.

You will have to go late to bed and get up early in the morning, and even a 4-hour sleep will seem a heaven to you.

When you become an entrepreneur, you will have to be more flexible with your sleeping habits and always look full of energy no matter how many hours of sleep you get.

But keep in mind that lack of sleep can pull a number on you and wreck your entire health.

Not having a major source of income

When you become your own boss, you will have to think where to get money to pay your employees. You may sell your possessions or eat bread and drink water only, knowing that you will not get your paycheck next week.

It’s great if you have parents or a partner who will be able to help you, but if you are all alone, you will have to reduce your spending and even skip your breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. It’s not because you want to lose weight; it’s because you have no money to buy food.

That sounds scaring, but like I mentioned above, you will have an opportunity to order the most expensive meals at the most luxury restaurant in the world as soon as your business becomes successful.

Believe in it every time you feel like you are about to give up.

Not hanging out with friends

One of the most frustrating things that I had to cope with during my long road towards success was friends.

I didn’t have time for friends, yes I admit. I met them once in a while to chat but had never had time for parties.

But it was not the only reason why I lost all of my friends. Jealousy is the second one. Some of my ex-friends stopped staying in touch and forgot I existed right after my company started growing.

Other friends were trying to take advantage of me by begging and borrowing money.

Once they got those bucks, they disappeared and appeared only when they needed money again.

I know I wasn’t right either because I didn’t spend enough time with them. However, I saw who was who and removed my so-called friends from my life with tears in the eyes.

If your friends have already started moaning about your business life, it may be a bad sign. Talk to them directly and explain that it’s all temporary and that you will have tons of time to travel together and party hard on Fridays, but not now.

True friends will understand while the fake ones will go away. Don’t worry, it’s for good.

“Surround yourself with those who support your goals and ditch those who are against them. “

Ignoring health

You can find a new partner, friends, or job, but you are not able to buy new health.

Unfortunately, that’s an enormous sacrifice you will have to make. Not getting enough sleep, bad eating habits and stress can ruin your health and you can wake up one day feeling like you are 90 years old while in reality, you are only 25.

I’m 27 now but my grandma who is 67 seems to be healthier than me.

I suffer from chronic fatigue, severe headaches, high blood pressure, heartache, anxiety and many other health issues each morning.

You may think you will restore your health in the future, but it’s a wrong belief. Sacrificing your health for the sake of your business won’t make you rich; it will make you weaker and older than you actually are.

Even if you become a billionaire in a few years, you will have no opportunity to buy a new heart or head, or a healthy body.

So, no matter how busy you are, try to do the three most important things – eat well, get enough sleep and exercise.

Not spending enough ‘me time’

Alone time is essential for your soul. It allows you to clear your mind, reboot your brain, increase productivity and simply unwind.

Alone time helps you discover yourself, find your strengths and weaknesses, and think about the ways to improve yourself and your overall life.

After all, it’s hard to think about your personal growth when you’re constantly distracted by emails, employees, projects, clients and other problems.

When you become an entrepreneur, you don’t have ‘me time’ as often as you want. You feel stuck in a rut and can do nothing about it.

In fact, you can. Let me quickly explain why it’s critical to find at least 10 minutes a day for yourself.

Alone time helps you come up with better solutions, creative ideas, and strategies, which is incredibly helpful for your business. If you’re an introvert, alone time is like the pill for you.

Volunteering

If you are a kind-hearted person who spent the weekends volunteering at the local shelters in the past, entrepreneurship may prevent you from doing it in the future.

You might be able to help financially, but visiting at least one shelter a week will not fit in your busy schedule. I know what I’m talking about.

I love animals and realize they need more help than humans, but all I can do is make donations and feed stray dogs, cats and sometimes birds, especially during the cold season.

I know I can do more than just give money or feed a stray animal. I have a house full of abandoned animals and I know I can’t adopt other furry friends.

My dream is to gain success, become a millionaire (better a billionaire, of course) and build a lot of animal shelters around the world. I want those shelters to be comfortable with high-quality food and without cages.

I know I have to make some sacrifices now and I’m actually making them, but it’s all for the sake of a happy future.

Whether you want to help homeless people, orphans or stray animals, don’t feel guilty for not volunteering today. As soon as you become a successful entrepreneur, you will be able to change the world.

Skipping your favorite shows

I haven’t watched TV and played video games for 5 years now and I’m still alive.

People call me crazy when I tell them I don’t watch TV. I can’t understand why it’s so important to them. The world won’t stop revolving if you skip one show or news.

Television distracts me from my goal so I have to remove it from my life. You may be laughing right now, but I don’t even have TV at home. I don’t want to come home and see the item I can’t use daily.

If you’re used to spending your evenings and weekends binge-watching your favorite shows or movies, it’s time to sacrifice them for the sake of a successful business.

You know what? Give your TV to those in need. I gave my TV to my neighbors who have 5 kids and only one TV. Not only did I get rid of one of the biggest distractions in my life, but I also helped a young family to avoid fighting over television time.

Sacrifices are a part of success. Without them, you won’t be able to become an entrepreneur.

While some sacrifices are worth nothing – you can live without that TV, trust me – others can affect your entire life.

Be conscious of the sacrifices you make to move your business forward, and try not to do anything that could harm your health.

I can’t stress it enough. Don’t ignore your health.

I made this mistake a few years ago and still keep trying to get back on a healthy track but all in vain.

Today I’m not going to sacrifice my health. I would rather throw out my TV than skip an hour of sleep.

What are the other sacrifices you had to make to become an Entrepreneur?

About The Author

Born workaholic, Catalina has been trying to find that ideal work-life balance for many years in a row. She strives to share her personal experience to help people believe in themselves and finally find their true calling. When she’s not writing, you can find her feeding stray animals on the street or experimenting with new smoothie recipes in the kitchen.